Yiwei Zhao graduated in Medicine from Beijing in 2004 and immediately thereafter joined the Epithelial Genetics Group as a Research Assistant initially funded by PC Project and more recently, by DEBRA.
Dr Zhao’s main project is to perform small molecule library screening to identify potential drugs that will modulate the expression of the inducible epidermal keratins, particularly K6a. Small molecules that down-regulate K6a might be developed to treat the dominant skin condition pachyoncyhia congenita type 1. In addition, drug-like molecules that up-regulate these keratins might be able to supplement the defective keratin K5/K14 cytoskeleton in the skin blistering disorder epidermolysis bullosa simplex.

Yiwei has isolated the human K6a promoter and has shown that this responds as predicted to previously known or strongly suspected inducing agents such as interferon-gamma and the antioxidant sulphorafane, as well as the general repressor of keratin expression, retinoic acid.

In the future, she will perform drug library screens for various small molecule therapy projects being developed by the group. Initial drug library screening is planned for 2006 aimed at pachyonychia congenita and epidermolysis bullosa simplex.

In addition, she has recently been involved in screening different human ethnic populations for filaggrin mutations causing ichthyosis vulgaris and atopic dermatitis. She aims to submit her research for a PhD.

Selected publications:

1. Smith FJD et al., (2006) “Loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding filaggrin cause ichthyosis vulgaris.” Nature Genet, 38:337-342 [Epub ahead of print, Jan 29, 2006].

2. Palmer CNA et al., (2006) “Common loss-of-function variants of the epidermal barrier protein filaggrin are a major predisposing factor for atopic dermatitis.” Nature Genet [Epub ahead of print, Mar 19, 2006].